The One Where Friendship Builds the Best Relationships
by A Fire in the Attic
Summary: Stiles and Erica have been friends forever...they've just been keeping it quiet in an effort to make things less awkward for Scott.


**Prompt**: Stiles and Erica were childhood friends and kept their friendship a secret during her epilepsy, but now that she's a werewolf and all seductive, he's trying to be protective as her "friend".

**Word count**: 2089

**Pairing**: friends-to-lovers Sterica

* * *

**nine**.

Erica is still carrying stuffed animals at school, and no one seems to care. She's not the only one—Lydia Martin has a teddy bear in her backpack at all times and Joshua Greenburg has a stuffed monkey that he drags around at recess.

So Erica and her stuffed tiger, Grumbles, don't get any real attention.

"Do you like Calvin and Hobbes?" a skinny boy asks her one day at recess. He perches next to her like an owl while she sits at the top of the jungle gym. She's impressed with his balance.  
"Yeah, my babysitter just showed me some of the comics," she said. "But me and Grumbles aren't like that."

"So what _are_ you like?" he asks, and then shifted until he could hang upside down. His shirt fell in front of his face and she thought about poking his belly. It's what her dad would have done.

Instead, she scoots forward and holds onto the bar in front of her while she leans down. "I'm Princess Jasmine," she tells him. "Grumbles is Raja."

"Cool," the boy says. "Can I be Aladdin?"

"Sure," Erica says, sitting back up. "Does that mean we get to go on a magic carpet ride?"

The boy swings up until he can grab a bar and drop down on his feet. "Yeah, come on!"

She jumps down, too, and races after him, toward the slide. On the playground, that will be the closest thing to magic carpets.

Some time between Egypt and China, the boy says, "My name is Stiles."

"I'm Erica," she says, but then they're pretending to watch the fireworks and talking about Abu.

* * *

**twelve**.

[Email log between holyemailbatman and mimosarose98 ]

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Group Project

Hey, Erica.

For the group project do you want to meet at my house?

Stiles

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Hey.

Sure, that would probably be better. My mom just moved back in and she'll think we're dating or that you're going to take advantage of me or something.

Erica

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Wait, when did she come back? I thought it's just been you and your dad.

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Like a week ago. Dad's making her sleep on the couch. I really don't know what happened but I think he blames her for the seizures somehow.

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

That's weird. Why didn't you tell me?

Oh and what topic do you want to do this project on?

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

I just didn't think you would care.

I don't know. You're the one who likes history.

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Of course I care. You're my friend.

Keep in mind that if you don't pick the topic I'll choose the entire history of male circumcision.

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Really?

And…ugh…stop being such a boy. That's disgusting and not even the right time period. Let's do it over Susan B. Anthony.

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Of course, ya dingus. It was your idea to keep the friendship secret.

Okay, Susan it is. I think Mom had a book on her. I'll look.

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

I just thought it would be easier for you. Anyway as long as we're still picking each other as project partners, it's cool, right?

Are you sure it's okay? I can bring books from the library instead.

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Nah, but it's up to you. I really don't mind being seen with you.

It's fine. If I start crying you'll be there.

**to**: holyemailbatman  
**from**: mimosarose98  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Okay. See you tomorrow afternoon?

**to**: mimosarose98  
**from**: holyemailbatman  
**subj**: Re: Group Project

Sure! Bye!

* * *

**fourteen**.

[Text log between Erica Reyes and Stiles Stilinski]

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

Scott thinks I have a secret girlfriend.

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

And you didn't tell me?! lol

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

haha. you and scott would be the first to know.

Scott thinks you're my girlfriend.

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

What? Why?

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

I text you more than him I guess?

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

That's because you can talk to him in person.

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

Right but he doesn't know that.

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

So what did you tell him?

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

Just that we're members of an online gaming community focused on fighting monsters.

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

…we are members of an online gaming community focused on fighting monsters.

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

I know! that's why it's perfect

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

I swear you're the biggest dork I know

To: Erica  
From: Stiles

You love me

To: Stiles  
From: Erica

Sometimes ;)

* * *

**fifteen**.

Erica taps Stiles shoulder. "What are you doing here?" she asks, grinning.

"Erica!" he exclaims. "I'm just…checking on Boyd." He's staring right at her eyes. She would have killed for him to be this focused on her before she got the bite, but somehow it's different now.

"You know what? You're just looking at my eyes," she says, and suddenly she's angry. She dressed like this to get attention from _him_ and now he's not even giving it? "It's like you're trying really hard not to look any where else," she grudgingly admits. _Look somewhere else_.

"You have beautiful eyes," he says.

Her heart _does not_ flutter (it does). "I have beautiful everything."

Stiles laughs like he's uncomfortable. "Well, I'm just going to go now."

"You're not going _anywhere_," she snaps, and she feels vicious satisfaction in knocking him out with whatever she yanked out of his engine.

* * *

**sixteen**.

"Oh, you're still dressing like this," Stiles says glumly before walking into chemistry with her.

"You don't like it?" she asks, rounding on him and jabbing a finger into his chest. "I could give you a few pointers about how to respect women, you dumbass."

Stiles holds his hands up defensively. "Whoa, I never said I didn't like it. You look great. Fabulous. Like the most beautiful girl in school."

"More than Lydia?" she asks, tilting her head.

"Oh, light years beyond," he promises. The funny thing is, his heart didn't skip.

"So, what's the problem?" she asks, crossing her arms. She knows what it does to her cleavage, but Stiles never looks anyway. Not when she can catch him anyway.

He shuffles and looks at his feet. "Just…everyone keeps staring at you. Guys talk about you in the locker room."

"In a good way?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. She's not keen on guys she doesn't know thinking about her (non-existent) sexual prowess, but maybe she's wrong and they aren't being douchebags.

"Honestly?" he says, looking up at her nervously. "It usually sounds kinda rapey." Then he straightens and wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Not that you need to change your behavior, of course. They're the ones who are wrong. It just worries me."

So they are douchebags. "It's not going to change if I start dressing differently," she says with a sigh. It's a tired conversation between the two of them, but at least Stiles always agrees with her about where the responsibility falls when it comes to rape.

"I know," he says, sounding vaguely miserable. "But maybe there would be less of it."

She grins at him, razor sharp. "Good thing I could rip the throat out of anyone who tries anything."

"And I seriously hope you do," he answers, grinning.

* * *

**seventeen**.

Stiles passes her a note in English class.

[Four boys in the locker room talked about your ass today. Congrats.]

Erica scribbles back a hasty reply.

[My ass is fantastic.]

She throws the note at his head when the teacher is looking the other way. Only a few seconds later, it lands on her desk again.

[Of course it is. 10/10, would stare at when you walk in front of me again. I'm just giving you the deets whenever bets are made.]

She stares at the words for a long second and then turns to level a glare at Stiles.

In response, he shrugs helplessly.

She writes a response with a little more furor than usual.

[I can't believe you just said that but I'll let it go. And you didn't say anything about a bet.]

Stiles looks properly chagrined as he writes out a response. He tosses the note gracefully onto her desk and slumps forward to look like he's been taking notes the entire time.

Erica glances to the front of the room and smirks when she sees the teacher watching them. She shrugs and looks down at the note.

[Greenburg bet $50 he could smack that. Boyd looked livid, which is to say, he frowned.]

She snorts.

[Might break Greenburg's hand if he tries it. Will that put you on first line?]

Stiles huffs when he reads the response and doesn't answer until the bell rings, when he leans across the aisle. "Screw you. I don't need Greenburg to get sick to make it."

"Of course not," she placates. "Now walk in front of me. It's my turn to ogle."

He makes a sound of protest, but leads the way out of the classroom.

(Greenburg never actually makes his attempt. Erica glares at him from across the cafeteria and he stays away from her for the rest of the week.)

* * *

**eighteen**.

At graduation, Erica wears her maroon cap and gown just like everyone else. Sure, the dress she's wearing underneath is glittery and tight, but really, no one is going to see that until the pack party.

Stiles is right behind her where they're sitting on the gymnasium floor and he keeps leaning forward to play with her hair.

She pretends to be annoyed. He pretends to believe her.

After the entirely to long ceremony, Stiles has his diploma in one hand and her hand in his other. "We did it," he says, faking tears.

She laughs and hides her face in his shoulder. "Yeah."

They talk to parents for a while and get split up while Stiles and Scott jabber about summer plans and she wraps arms around Isaac and Boyd.

"Is tonight the night?" Boyd asks her when he sees her staring at Stiles. "Because he'd probably go for it."

"What are you wearing?" Isaac asks, tugging on her gown. "Is it glittery?"

She beams. "Duh."

Isaac grins. "He won't know what hit him."

"Yes he will," Boyd says, rolling his eyes. "She dresses like that all the time but it doesn't change the fact that he's liked her almost as long as he's liked Lydia."

"That doesn't make sense, Boyd," Erica says, frowning.

"Scott told me Stiles thought you didn't like him so he backed off," Isaac says delightedly. "In like, _middle school_."

"He didn't do that to Lydia," Erica says.

"He did once he _knew_ her," Isaac points out. "He's always known you and respected you more."

"Why did you tell me this ages ago?" she demands, shoving them both.

Isaac laughs and Boyd half-heartedly shoves her back. "More fun this way," he says.

"Ugh," she answers.

Stiles chooses that moment to run over and pick her up to swing her around. "We did it," he says again, and she's laughing too hard to answer.

When he sets her down, she keeps her hands on his shoulders. "You're a dumbass," she tells him.

"I know," he says, sighing. "It's your favorite thing to call me."

"No, I mean, you are seriously a dumbass," she says. "We could have been making out _years_ ago."

Stiles makes this great face, his pretty little mouth an O shape and his eyes wide. He doesn't say anything for a while, and she worries that maybe Isaac and Boyd had been lying to her, but then he grins and leans closer to her. "That's…devastating. We should probably make up for lost time."

Erica snorts and grabs him by the back of his neck to pull him close enough to kiss. Their stupid caps knock into each other and then fall off, which makes both of them laugh into each others mouths. It's weird, but it's Stiles, so maybe it's perfect, too.

In the background, Isaac catcalls and Derek picks up their caps, muttering about hormonal teenagers.

Erica kisses Stiles harder, and then she's not really concerned with what the rest of the pack is doing.

* * *

**A/N**: I may have gone overboard on this prompt but dang girl it was perfect. holyemailbatman might be a real e-mail. I honestly don't know. mimosarose98 is just an email that sounded like a twelve-year-old girl would pick out. Idk bro.

Also sorry that I messed up the scene when Erica knocked Stiles out? I forgot the "worst crush in the world" bit but then the story worked better without it so…I left it out.


End file.
